1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wheeled distance measuring devices and, more particularly, to a wheeled distance measuring device that can be reconfigured to a stored state.
2. Background Art
Wheeled distance measuring devices are commonly used in many different industries, and particularly in the construction trade. In a conventional design for such a device, a frame, to which the wheel is mounted for rotation, supports a counter. The counter is triggered one or more times for each revolution of the wheel as it is rolled against an underlying surface upon which a measurement is to be taken. The device is manipulated by an operator through an elongate operating arm projecting away from the wheel.
Designers of these devices strive towards a number of different objectives. First of all, convenience of operation is a critical design parameter. As a result, the graspable portion of the measuring device, through which the device is repositioned by an operator, should be situated in operation so that the user can comfortably engage and move the measuring device as required to take an appropriate measurement. To permit this, the operating arms typically projects away from the wheel a substantial distance. As a consequence, to package this type of measuring device in a squared container, the container must be dimensioned to enclose the entire operating arm. In the absence of some mechanism to reconfigure the operating arm, the size of the storage/shipping container must by necessity be quite large, thereby taking up valuable storage space, complicating handling, and accounting for relatively large shipping costs.
It is known to form the elongate operating arm with telescoping parts which allow the arm to be reduced in length for packaging and storage. However, telescoping connections require a base part with a sizable length to telescopingly accept the other element(s).
Another design objective is to permit the measuring device to be stably maintained in one or more positions, such as an upright position, to facilitate temporary on-site storage, stable placement in a storage/shipping container, orientation for repair, etc.